Porta Palace takes the tiny home on the road in the Netherlands

Dutch designer and tiny house enthusiast Daniel Venneman, who previously bought us the DIY Hermit House, has recently completed a new tiny home on wheels. Dubbed Porta Palace, the 18 m2 (194 ft2) home was specifically designed for Venneman's building partner, Jelte Glas. Glas was wanting to create his very own home that not only would he be able to afford, but would also bring him closer to nature.

"Like
in many European countries, there is quite a financial leap to go
from renting your student apartment to owning your own house,"
Daniel
Venneman tells Gizmag. "It
seems almost impossible to find a nice place of your own, in closer
contact to a natural landscape. Luckily Jelte wasn't scared of
taking some risks, so we went on an adventure together. In the end
the project was all about finding a more affordable and qualitative
way to live more sustainably."

The
tiny home most certaintaly won't be a solution for
everybody, but it is a clever model for those who are up for the
challenge of living in a micro space. Described by Venneman as an example of "bio-based
construction," the home was built using a timber-frame, steel roof, and is clad with wood that's been pre-treated with a an ecologically-friendly product called Aquawood that enables it to wear naturally over time with
minimal maintenance required.

The
Porta Palace comprises of an open multi-purpose living and dining
area which features built-in furniture, storage space and large
floor-to-ceiling hinged glass doors which open outwards, extending
the living area onto to the surrounding landscape.
The sofa in the living area can double as a bed for a guest or
child and also offers convenient storage space. There's also an elevated double loft bed, kitchen, bathroom
with dry toilet and LED lighting throughout. If
you're wondering how to access the elevated sleeping area, the stairs
towards the bed are actually disguised as a cabinet, with a movable
side-table that functions as the first step.

"It
is simply a minimized space with maximum openness," says
Venneman.
"The living room offers a maximized view on nature. The bedroom
and kitchen have a view over the landscape. And quite a generous
bathroom with sliding door, which creates the sense of spatial
continuity. A common reaction when people step in the house is: 'wow,
this feels bigger than expected,' proving that living in a Tiny House
does not have to feel tiny."

Glas
has intentions to add solar
panels and a battery kit at a later stage to the home, which will
enable it to supply its own electricity. "Enough to power its
integrated LED lighting, a small fridge, the ventilator of the dry
toilet and to charge a laptop and other small electrical devices,"
says Venneman.

Passionate
about continuing the trend of tiny living Glas and Venneman are
hoping to create the first of many Tiny Villages in the Netherlands,
which would consist of approximately 5 to 10 small/mobile homes on
one site.

"Through
my projects I am always researching new architectural possibilities
for living with more autonomy, sustainability and affordability,"
says Venneman.
"Small spaces can also become more personal. Wouldn't it be
great if our homes would fit more to us like a personal shell instead
of being oversized and one-size-fits-all?"